10 Booming Burger Chains That Will Take Over 2026

It's no big secret that America likes burgers. A dish that's arguably the United States' greatest culinary invention, what started as a humble combination of bread and meat has turned into an enormous industry, with countless chains looking to capitalize on the country's love of burgers and offer up innovative new takes on them. Nowadays, we have cheeseburgers, smashburgers, plant-based burgers, Midwestern butter burgers, and sliders. There's a restaurant for every taste. No wonder it all gets so competitive, and no wonder there are so many chains vying for supremacy.

As we enter 2026, though, there are some who are definitely winning the fast-food burger race. Giants like McDonald's and Burger King are going nowhere, of course, but there are also plenty of other chains that have been doing brisk business over the last few years and look set to dominate over the next 12 months. From established brands like In-N-Out and Culver's to upstarts like Smalls Sliders and 7th Street Burger, you can expect to see a lot of these names popping up everywhere in 2026. Some of them are only just getting started, too.

It's not a big secret that Shake Shack's been doing pretty well recently. The brand has been expanding at a rapid clip as it seeks to gain a greater stake in the modern burger market, and the last year has been especially good to the brand. For Q3 2025, Shake Shack announced that it was up 15.9% in revenue from the previous year, and it also reported sales and traffic growth for the same period. That boom in business (potentially combined with the fact that Shake Shack is way more expensive than other fast food and so rakes in more cash per transaction) means that it's sitting on a pretty positive balance sheet, with hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into the brand. Not bad for a restaurant that started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park.

Going into 2026, Shake Shack's got its sights set on domination. It's planning to open up to 60 restaurants in the new year, building on the dozens that it had announced to debut in 2025. The markets it's expanding into include Panama, where it's due to open a new restaurant, and it'll also be opening restaurants in casinos run by PENN Entertainment. These openings are all part of Shake Shack's long-term plan to reach 1,500 domestic company-owned units. At this rate, we wouldn't be surprised if it gets there pretty soon.

Culver's isn't a small chain by any stretch: It's now operating in the four-figure category for its unit count, and in the last four decades, it's spread across 26 different states. However, it's showing no sign of stopping, and if 2025 is anything to go by, there could be a Culver's near everyone pretty soon. Culver's has been opening approximately 50 to 60 restaurants annually for the last few years, and it expects to keep doing so over the next 12 months. Importantly, the brand has an eye on sustainable growth and on keeping its brand strong, keeping to its Midwest roots, with its talent coming directly from Wisconsin to spearhead its new stores.

As for where it looks set to expand in 2026 ... well, it's all over the place. Closer to home turf, Culver's has already announced the development of a new location in Faribault, Minnesota, which is due to open in May. In the same month, a Culver's is set to open in Selma, North Carolina, right across the country. As the year rolls on, we can likely expect to see more announcements of new stores if this cozy but ambitious chain is going to hit its targets.

To call Smalls Sliders an industry disruptor would be an understatement. When this restaurant debuted in October 2019, nobody could have predicted how quickly it would move — but its nimble business model, with burgers made in "cans" (which are essentially portable shipping containers that can be erected in no time at all), means that it's exploded. Now, Smalls Sliders has more than 375 cans either in operation or in development across the country, and its brand covers 30 different states. It's also got itself into a legal battle with Smashburger, which has given it a fair bit of notoriety and publicity. 

As you might expect, Smalls Sliders isn't going to be resting on its laurels going forward, and 2026 looks set to be a big year for the chain. The brand has been signing franchising and unit deals left, right, and center, with a five-unit deal in Kentucky struck in December 2025. Expansion is also set to occur across Georgia and South Carolina, as well as in North Carolina, and the slider chain is also gaining a foothold in Oklahoma City. Numerous Cans in these expansion deals will be opening in 2026, and it also wouldn't be a huge shock if Smalls Sliders strikes even more franchising agreements as the year pushes on.

Okay, so it probably won't shock you that In-N-Out's been doing well of late. The revolutionary Californian burger joint has an extraordinarily high average unit volume, and at the end of 2024, it was averaging almost $6 million per restaurant yearly. That year also saw a huge jump in sales for the brand, which has been steadfast in sticking to its West Coast roots and identity, sometimes seeming as though it'd be happy not to expand as a result. Ok, that's not quite true — if the past year is anything to go by, it'll be everywhere pretty soon. 

In-N-Out had a busy 2025, during which it announced a push into Washington state and simultaneously stated that it was creating a new corporate hub in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2026. That development has coincided with its opening of several new locations in Nashville, the first of which took place in December 2025. More are set to come, and In-N-Out is simultaneously building on its already established presence in Las Vegas, with an enormous location right on the Strip due to open next year. The future's bright for this brand.

A couple of years ago, we wouldn't blame you if you thought that Smashburger was down and out. The burger chain had managed to grow to 370 locations in the late 2010s, but it then went into serious decline, having to close approximately 160 units and losing its foothold in the market somewhat. The restaurant was one of the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of some executive-level decisions that didn't gel with operators and franchisees. Throw in the fact that Smashburger's one of those burger chains that's considered overpriced, and it hasn't had the best run. It looked as though it would be in freefall until it hit rock bottom, but under the new leadership of Jim Sullivan, Smashburger's done a 180. 

The wind's now back behind this brand, and after a solid 2025 (during which it heavily promoted its "Summer of Smash," designed to get people talking again), it's now looking forward to healthier growth in 2026. Smashburger's hoping to open 12 to 15 restaurants over the next 12 months, and it's not being shy about the markets it's working on, either. The brand is targeting key locations like Charlotte and Salt Lake City, and with a focus on nontraditional locations (like naval bases), it may well be finding a niche to expand into without competition.

We love it when a plucky little restaurant brand really goes for it — and, of course, when it succeeds in the process. That's why we adore 7th Street Burger. The chain started life in May 2021, with its operations funded by founder Kevin Rezvani's credit card (don't try that one at home, kids, it can go really wrong). Within months, it was the talk of New York City, and just a couple of years later, 7th Street Burger had more than 25 locations across the country. People just can't get enough of these burgers, and Rezvani's well aware that there's plenty of fertile ground out there.

As we go into 2026, you can expect to see 7th Street Burger building on its success with lightning-fast expansion. The brand hopes to reach 60 units by the end of 2026, and add 40 more to that number by the end of 2027. Its operations are, at present, concentrated on New York and the areas and states surrounding it, and so far, folks have caught wind of new units for 2026 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Stamford, Connecticut. It's just the start for this chain, which could well be the talk of the whole country in a few years.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has the feel of a chain that's been around forever. Well, it might surprise you that it's only been in operation since 2002, and in the last few decades, it's shown astonishing growth and success, as people drift towards its old-school vibe and good grub. At the start of 2025, it reached a unit size of roughly 400. What's more, its approach to expansion, incorporating units ranging from larger restaurants to tiny, 800-square-foot operations, means that it was able to press forward where other chains couldn't.

Going into 2026, Freddy's has no intention of stopping. The brand is deep in the midst of developing more than 130 locations, which started in 2025 and is expected to continue throughout the next year. Nebraska, North Dakota, and Maryland have all been key targets for the chain, which announced a few years back that it hoped to reach 800 restaurants by the end of 2026. Even if it doesn't hit that target, you can definitely expect this place to keep growing.

Whataburger started life back in 1950, and in the 70-plus years that it's been making burgers, it's managed to make some significant inroads. The chain now boasts more than 1,000 restaurants, with Texas being by far its biggest market. Despite this, it's seen a bit of a reshuffling of its units in the last couple of years, with closures of relatively new restaurants in Tennessee. Eagle-eyed observers of the restaurant industry may have thought that this spelled trouble for the brand. Well, that's not the case — and going into 2026, Whataburger's charging ahead with more places to enjoy its burgers. 

As you might expect, it's sticking to its roots somewhat, building locations in Midland and South Texas that are due to open next year. However, it's also got one eye on building up its presence elsewhere, and new restaurants are slated to debut in Tampa and Largo, Florida. Charlotte, North Carolina, residents can also expect a new Whataburger in their city in 2026. This chain just can't be held down, people!

There's no denying that Checkers & Rally's is in a growth phase. The drive-through burger chain has been setting the stage for expansion for a couple of years now, a move that coincided with the new leadership of CEO Chris Tebben, who joined the company in September 2024. Throughout the last few years, Checkers & Rally's has announced enormous expansions in markets like Arizona and New Jersey, with the brand hoping to create dozens more locations in these states (though you might want to avoid them for fried chicken). These growth pushes are in process and are due to continue throughout 2026 and beyond.

In addition, Checkers & Rally's also has its sights set on customer experience going forward, and the refreshing of its existing units. The brand's undergoing what it calls a reimaging campaign, with 60 locations due to be revamped throughout 2026. This move will not only help everything feel newer and more modern, but it will also help to streamline the operations in each restaurant, which will, in turn, help make growth easier and more efficient. Mark our words: This drive-through will be even more popular in the years to come.

Fatburger's a restaurant that's got its eyes on the prize. The chain, the name of which promises big, juicy burgers that you can't wait to get your teeth around, has been operating for over 70 years, but apparently, it's recently decided that it's time to go hard or go home. Fatburger announced a massive development deal in February 2025, which will see it open a whopping 40 additional locations in Florida across the next decade. This development deal is due to begin seeing results at the end of 2025, and from 2026 onward, the brand hopes to be expanding across the Orlando and Tampa Bay metro areas, staking even more claim on the market.

That's not the only focus for Fatburger, though. The chain has also been developing a new restaurant in South Texas, the building of which is due to be completed at the end of 2025. It's just one of multiple new Fatburgers planned in the state over the next few years, which will undeniably be pretty fruitful for this already established chain and its prospects.